Armed Forces: Defence Equipment and Support

Lord Astor of Hever: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Philip Hammond) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	On 10 June 2013, I published a White Paper on the strategy for reform of the acquisition and support of our Armed Forces’ equipment. The strategy plans to explore the potential for involvement of the private sector under a Government Owned and Contractor Operated (GoCo) model by means of a commercial competition which is under way, and to compare this option with an internal approach which would deliver an improved solution within the public sector (DE&S+). I want to update the House on progress of the commercial competition.
	When the Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) was released on 25 July there were three prospective bidding consortia but this reduced to two shortly thereafter. While we believed that two bidders were sufficient for an effective competition, alongside the internal DE&S+ option, I asked that a review of the process be undertaken jointly between the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Defence (MOD). This has recently been completed, and a copy of the report has been laid in the Library of the House today.
	The review concluded that a viable competition remained, albeit with some risk attached, but that any further reduction in the number of bidders should stimulate a formal reconsideration and decision on whether to proceed further with the GoCo option. Bids were required from the two commercial consortia in three phases and the second of those was due to be received on Friday 15 November. MOD has received a bid from one of the consortia but the second (Portfield, comprising CH2MHill, Serco and Atkins) has decided to withdraw from the competition. This is regrettable and the reduction in competitive tension will make it more challenging for the Department to conclude an acceptable deal with the remaining bidder, notwithstanding the competition from the DE&S+ bid, which will be received shortly.
	The Department, with the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, will now study the detailed proposal received from Materiel Acquisition Partners (led by Bechtel with PA and PwC in support), which is substantial at over 1,200 pages. In parallel, the DE&S+ team will continue to refine and enhance their proposition. This analysis will inform a decision on whether it is in the public interest to proceed with only a single commercial bidder and an internal option, or whether alternative approaches should be considered and a further Statement will be made once this process is complete.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Baroness Warsi: My Honourable Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Mr Mark Simmonds, has made the following written Ministerial statement:
	On 8th July I announced to the House the Government’s intention to commission a Feasibility Study on the issue of resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). I wish to update the House on the scope of this Feasibility Study, which will be funded by the BIOT Administration.
	Over the summer, FCO and BIOT officials sought initial views from over 400 people, including members of the Chagossian community in the UK, Mauritius and the Seychelles.
	These initial consultations show that views within Chagossian communities vary widely on the issue of resettlement. Though a clear majority of Chagossians expressed a preference to return to BIOT, there were significant differences on the detail. A number of concerns and issues were highlighted, by Chagossian groups and others, which will need to be carefully considered during the Feasibility Study. These include the scale of resettlement, the extent of the provision of modern infrastructure and facilities, access to employment opportunities, and the need to protect the unique environment of BIOT.
	The input provided has helped to shape the draft Terms of Reference (TORs) for the study which will be published immediately on the Overseas Territories webpage on Gov.UK and placed in the libraries of both Houses. The Feasibility Study will look at the full range of options for resettlement and will include all of the islands of the Territory, including Diego Garcia with its vital military base. Following the Study, in assessing the potential options for resettlement the Government will wish to balance a range of factors including whether this could be accommodated in a way that does not inhibit the scale and output of the existing base and whether the base can continue to operate undisturbed alongside any potential resettlement.
	In order to ensure that the process remains transparent, credible and inclusive, officials from the BIOT Administation will continue to regularly meet and update Chagossian groups and other interested parties on progress and emerging findings as the Study develops. I shall continue to keep Parliament informed.

Daniel Morgan

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My right hon Friend the Home Secretary (Theresa May) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:
	I announced in a Written Ministerial Statement on 10 May 2013 the creation of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel, to be chaired by Sir Stanley Burnton.
	Sir Stanley Burnton informed me on 13 November of his decision to resign as chairman of the Panel for personal reasons.
	The work of the panel will continue and announcements about any further appointments will follow in due course.
	The Morgan family has been informed of Sir Stanley’s decision and remains fully supportive of the panel process.

EU: Finances

Lord Deighton: My honourable friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Nicky Morgan) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I am today laying before Parliament, the European Union Finances 2013: statement on the 2013 EU Budget and measures to counter fraud and financial mismanagement (Cm 8740). It is the thirty third in the series.
	The Statement gives details of revenue and expenditure in the 2013 European Union (EU) Budget, recent developments in EU financial management and measures to counter fraud against the EU Budget. It also includes an annexe on the use of EU funds in the UK.
	The current economic and financial climate means that governments and families across Europe are taking difficult decisions to make savings; it would be wrong for the EU to not show similar spending restraint. The Government remains determined to ensure transparency, spending control and better value for money in EU budget spending, and to push for improvements in EU financial management.

Higher Education

Viscount Younger of Leckie: My Rt. Hon Friend, the Minister of State for Universities and Science (David Willetts) has made the following statement.
	In the 2011 white paper on higher education, Students at the Heart of the System (Cmnd 8122), the Government announced its intention to introduce a level playing-field for regulating higher education providers of all types. A number of reforms have since been introduced to deliver convergence between the rules governing higher education institutions funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and others, known as alternative providers (APs). The process of applying student number controls to APs was subject to a consultation, which was launched in November 2012 and which closed in January 2013.
	The previous Government introduced a system of recovery of payments from HEFCE-funded providers that breached their number controls. This regime was not applied to APs, even though students studying at APs are eligible for maintenance grants, maintenance loans and tuition fee loans. As the higher education sector has diversified, the number of applications for
	student support at APs has increased. In addition, the tuition fee changes implemented in 2012/13 mean students at APs may borrow up to £6,000 a year to cover the costs of their tuition. The number of English and EU students claiming support at APs has grown from 13,000 in 2011/12 to 30,000 in 2012/13, and the total public expenditure on these students has risen from £60m to £175m. This is 4% of the total student support budget. Growth has been particularly concentrated among students studying for Higher National Certificates (HNCs) and the Higher National Diplomas (HNDs).
	The Government announced in March 2013 that it would introduce number controls for 2014/15 academic year based on institutions’ 2012/13 entry data. Alternative Providers were asked to submit data to HEFCE on their recruitment plans. The Department received this data on 5 November and concluded that some of these plans were unaffordable, given the need to control public spending. We have therefore written to the 23 APs that are expanding most rapidly to instruct them to recruit no more students for HNCs and HNDs in the current 2013/14 academic year. Degree-level courses are unaffected by these changes.
	Concurrently, we are dealing with a different student support issue. We identified that there had been a significant increase in the number of Bulgarian and Romanian students applying for full student support in England this year. This support is usually only available to EU citizens resident in the UK for a minimum of three years. We have asked each of these students to supply additional information to support their applications for maintenance, before any further public funding is made available to them or to their institutions. We have asked all EU citizens applying for maintenance support in England to supply this additional information.

Justice: Cautions

Lord McNally: My right honourable friend the Minister for Policing, Criminal Justice and Victims (Damian Green) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	“The Secretary of State for Justice, together with the Home Secretary and the Attorney General, on 3rd April 2013 launched a review of simple cautions. The review examined the way in which simple cautions are currently used, and consider the need for any changes to policy or practice to ensure that there is transparency, accountability and public confidence in the use of simple cautions as a disposal.
	The review included (but was not restricted to) the examination of:
	• existing guidance and practice relating to the use of simple cautions;• the question of whether there are some offence types for which the use of simple cautions is generally inappropriate – and if so, what procedures should be adopted; • the multiple use of cautions;
	• the need for increased scrutiny of, and accountability for, the use of a caution in any given case, or the general approach adopted in a police force area to the use of cautions as a disposal; and• the impact on individuals of accepting a caution – taking into account the recent case of T-v-Chief Constable of Greater Manchester and others.
	The review reported to the Justice Secretary, Home Secretary and the Attorney General. Following detailed discussion and an examination of the report’s findings, CJS ministers agreed to accept the recommendations of the review, namely that:
	• The Government should remove the availability of simple cautions for indictable only offences unless there are very exceptional circumstances and the caution has been approved by a chief officer, whilst continuing to allow the use of the conditional caution for these offences. This can be achieved either through toughening the guidance or through legislating. We will also seek to restrict the use of simple cautions for particularly serious either way offences which would ordinarily attract custodial sentences or high end community orders if the offender is found guilty following a trial. • We should also restrict the use of simple cautions for repeat offenders beyond the position as set out in the guidance.• We believe there is a compelling case for simplification and consolidation of the existing guidance. We also recommend further strengthening the existing guidance regarding cautioning in serious cases.• That there is greater local accountability and scrutiny of decision making. Each force should have a senior officer identified as responsible to provide local leadership and accountability and by making use of local Scrutiny Panels.
	• Whilst the imposition of a caution is an operational policing matter we believe there is a compelling case for forces to review strategy and usage of cautions and other out of court disposals on an annual basis. Particular scrutiny should attach to the question of cautions for serious and repeated cases. There is clear potential for Police and Crime Commissioners to play an active role in providing transparency and assurance for the public on this issue.• The presentation of data on cautions, and any accompanying narrative, should continue to draw a clear distinction between youth and adult cautions and simple and conditional cautions, although there is a need for consistent operating principles between these wherever possible. More use can be made of police.uk to ensure that the data is easily accessible to the public. • Whilst this review has limited itself to adult simple cautions, it has concluded that in view of wider concerns which have been voiced during the review, there would be a good case for conducting a wider review of other statutory and informal out of court disposals for both adults and youths to ensure that the framework is rational, understood by all practitioners, and maintains public confidence, and that there are no inadvertent effects from any changes to the simple caution regime in isolation.
	The government has revised the guidance on Simple Cautions, which is published on the Ministry of Justice website, and has published the report of the review of Simple Cautions alongside the consultation document on the wider out of court disposals framework which is due to conclude by 09 January 2014. A copy of all of these documents has also been placed in the libraries of both Houses.”